On Knowing and Talking With God

From 1508 to 1512, Michelangelo sketched, drew and painted the entire ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. On a scaffold he designed for the project, Michelangelo lay flat on his back, month after month, painting one of the world’s great masterpieces.
What was it that so captivated the mind and genius of this man? It was God’s work in creation! For four years, Michelangelo designed, plastered and painted his vision of God creating the universe and our world. His guidebook was the opening chapters of Genesis in the Old Testament.
In the central position of the Sistine Chapel is the panel that represents God in the moment of creation of Adam, the first human. With just a touch, the Creator’s life passes from the hand of God to Adams’ hand. That moment is a metaphor for the time when God gives us new life. New Testament writers call this life the second birth. Michelangelo’s magni-ficent work in the Sistine Chapel will eventually fade, crack and peal away. Not so the new life God has waiting for you.
Michelangelo opened the windows of heaven so the world could see the hand of God in creation. As God reached out and touched Adam’s hand, Adam received life from God. That is the story of this book—God reaching out to mankind with new creative energy. He longs to share his life and power with us to bring order out of chaos and light out of darkness. As with Adam, God has a special design for us.
You may be reaching out to touch God. You want his life to become part of your life. This book will help you reach out to grasp God’s hand that has been waiting for this very moment. Our story starts at the beginning: Creation!